Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) analysis has revealed that 44 (23%) out of 194 State Cabinet Ministers from 13 Assemblies (where elections were conducted in the last two years) and 12 (27%) out of 45 Union ministers have self-declared criminal cases against themselves.

In a landmark judgement
on Aug. 27, a five-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court
observed that it is not the prerogative of the Apex court to
disqualify ministers facing criminal charges.

Putting the ball in Prime
Minister's court, the SC held that it is the collective
responsibility of the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers to keep
those people against whom charges have been framed in criminal and
corruption cases, out of their Cabinet.

States with high percentage of ministers with criminal cases: Among
the states analysed, Telangana
(90%) has the highest percentage of ministers with criminal cases
followed by Andhra
Pradesh (56%), Karnataka
(34%) and Odisha (27%).

States with 0% ministers with criminal cases: None of the Ministers
from the states of Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland,
Tripura
and Sikkim
have declared criminal cases.

States
with high percentage of ministers with serious criminal cases:
Telangana (80%) has the highest percentage of ministers with serious
criminal cases followed by Rajasthan
(25%) and Andhra Pradesh (22%).

Union Council of
Ministers with declared criminal cases: 12 (27%) out of 45 Ministers
have declared criminal cases against themselves. Union Council of
Ministers with declared serious criminal cases: 7 out of 45 Ministers
have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.